Anybody done a recent kitchen remodel?

[limace]

I’d add to my long list above-drawers instead of bottom cabinets. We have deep drawers that hold all pots and pans, flour, baking dishes, etc. much easier to access things at the back than cabinets are.

 

[firefly_ris]

I’d add to my long list above-drawers instead of bottom cabinets. We have deep drawers that hold all pots and pans, flour, baking dishes, etc. much easier to access things at the back than cabinets are.

Yes, this. We did as many lower drawers as we could, and also one of the lower cabinets is a double door and when you open it, the shelves pull out, and I keep casserole dishes, some less used pots, pie tins, etc in that one. Also the skinny cabinet the previous poster talked about for baking sheets and cutting boards, I put that to the right of the oven, and to the left of the oven we did a pull out spice rack which I enjoy.

 

[gmi3804]

Another thing I'll add: Before the reno, purge your kitchen of anything you don't (and will never) use. You'd be surprised how little you actually need. Having less gives you more room in the kitchen.

 

[barkley]

if you are going to pop for new appliances consider hiring an electrician to install a whole house surge protector. we frequently only think about our tvs, computers, gaming systems and such when it comes to using a surge protector BUT a power surge can just as easily fry major appliances (and think how much all those add up to for replacement).

 

[MillauFr]

My only regret with our kitchen reno is the over-the-range microwave, which I never had before. It is large and doubles as a convection oven, which I love, but as a short woman, I am not comfortable lifting hot, sometimes heavy dishes from above my head and over the gas stove top. Because of my height (something I hadn’t considered), I feel it’s a safety issue, and am now replacing it with a vented range hood and a smaller countertop microwave. In hindsight, I would have splurged on a microwave drawer, under the counter. YMMV of course, as pp said, you have to think about your personal needs and preferences.

This. The over range microwaves are a terrible idea. The flat out don't work for shorter people and are lousy for even taller people. We got a drawer microwave which at first I thought was a big ripoff but now we like that it is under the countertop and maximizes our counterspace.

 

[MillauFr]

Just take whatever budget you have in mind and then double it. I wanted to spend $100k and we almost spent double that even though we had no major structural modifications.

 

[MrsPete]

What kinds of innovative appliances, surfaces, and features should I be looking at? I know for a long time that granite was out and quartz was in, but now I'm seeing mention of Dekton for countertops giving quartz a run for its money. I'm open to hearing anything you love about your kitchen and even the things that you wish you had or hadn't done. We are just in the planning stages right now, so are open to any suggestions.

- I'd say keep to standard sized appliances (and everything else). Standard-sized will help you keep on budget -- now and later (because, if you stay in this house, the appliances will eventually need replacing. Don't go overboard duplicating things like ovens and dishwashers.
- Granite, Quartz, Quarztite and Soapstone are all considered high-end, and they all have their pros/cons. Marble (or marble look) is the biggest trend at the moment, but "the real stuff" causes problems for more than a few people -- water stains, etc. are a problem with marble. It's okay to go with old-fashioned laminate.
- Remember that a good layout costs no more than a poor layout, and bigger isn't better. Consider your traffic patterns: how you'd bring in groceries, how you'd take out garbage, how you'd move food from the kitchen to the table and dirty dishes to the dishwasher. Be sure you have glasses next to the refrigerator, etc.
- Go with (mostly) drawers instead of cabinets, but think through where you'll store this and that -- you might want a cabinet here or there.
- Go with a large, one-bowl sink. A big window over the sink is a huge plus.
- Good lighting is an absolute must.
- A good pantry is one of the best things you can have. A pantry is cheaper storage than cabinets /countertops, and it allows you to see everything at once.
- Don't neglect a fire extinguisher.

the one thing i would like to do in my kitchen but it wouldn't work without major reno to the cabinetry-install one of those hide away/pop up shelves for my kitchenaid mixer. it takes up allot of counter space and is so freaking heavy to move.

- My mom has one of those -- I love it! Some people complain it's a space hog, and they're not wrong -- but a KitchenAid mixer itself is a space hog. The question is, Do you want to give it the space on your counter or the space in your cabinets?
- Do consider where it'll "pop up". You don't want it to block the oven or the refrigerator, for example. Be sure your electrician puts an electrical outlet inside the cabinet so you can keep the KitchenAid plugged in.

-good sized island that is all flat surface. No split level island, no sink or range in middle. Amazing for cooking, baking with kids, gathering with friends.
-Blue Star gas range, 6 burner. This was my big splurge. It’s lovely-and it’s bright green. Requires a serious vent system. Cooks like a dream.
-kitchen aid lift. Husband didn’t want it on counter and I didn’t want to lift it up every time.
-pull out kidney bean shaped shelves in corner cabinets. Stuff doesn’t get lost in there-it’s where I store small appliances like food processor.
-pull out garbage and recycling bins.
-Bosch dishwasher. So quiet we don’t always know if it’s running or not.
-large white Kohler farm sink. I thought I’d miss a divided sink but I don’t.

- Islands are super trendy, and many people think "the bigger the better" -- but keep in mind that an island takes a big kitchen; that is, you need a good bit of circulation space. Don't force an island, if you lack the space. You need walking-space as much as you need cabinets /counter tops.
- Yes, flat islands (rather than raised seating that hides your mess) are stylish right now. Personally, I'm kinda split on flat vs. raised.
- If you plan to have seating at your island, allow 12-18" for stools /legs. The larger your ledge, the more support you need (to prevent your expensive stone from cracking).
- Plan for electrical outlets on all sides of an island.
- If you get an oversized range (or other oversized appliance), remember that you may need to reinforce the floor and/or have a special outlet installed. Investigate first.

We recently built a new house and there are LOTS of choices for the kitchen. The whole granite vs quartz discussion seems overplayed and mostly those who sell a particular product are trying to make it sound like one is superior to another. Granite is a natural stone product so it is a good idea to pick out the actual slabs since there can be color variations between slabs. We have found our granite looks great, easy to take care of and would definitely buy again.

Think about how you plan to use your kitchen, how much you cook, for how many and what specific features work for you. For example, if you rarely cook, do you really need top of the line industrial grade appliances? Probably not. Ignore those TV design shows that tend to push whatever is trendy so that is 5 yrs they need to return to 'redo' your outdated looking kitchen. Go to some of those kitchen design places to see the various choices that are available and which things you like the best. Many of the features/options are a matter of personal preference so what works for someone else may not be best for your family.

Excessively large islands take away from the available floor space and are mostly an example of the builder wanting to do what is easier for them by putting two sets of cabinets back to back. Our floors are ceramic tile and are very easy to clean, don't scratch and are very durable. I would never recommend wood in a kitchen since any tiny bit of water that might splash on the floor needs to immediately be wiped up so you don't ruin the finish. Wood of any type scratches VERY easily and not something I would recommend for any high traffic area.

- Agree that granite vs. quartz is a fake fight.
- If you go with granite, which seems to be the toughest /most durable stone, you should go pick out the slab yourself. Read up on how to choose /how to get a good result.
- I'd go with laminate floors. It's warm underfoot, and a dropped dish is less likely to break.

 

[tvguy]

Looking at the pictures, you can see that an appliance barn, while extremely practical, is entirely out of current fashion (hint: look at the counter tops and cabinet pulls). My DH is a high-end kitchen designer and I work for a homebuilder that does 300+ units a year. I can safely say it's been a decade or more since they were popular so if form is at all important, it would be a huge NO, although an A+ for functionality.

LOL. Function will always win over fashion in my life.

 

[ronandannette]

This. The over range microwaves are a terrible idea. The flat out don't work for shorter people and are lousy for even taller people. We got a drawer microwave which at first I thought was a big ripoff but now we like that it is under the countertop and maximizes our counterspace.

And how!! The worst thing about them is that they are next-to-useless as an exhaust fan. They don't project out over the stovetop far enough to be effective, since almost all stoves now have the large burners at the front. Steam from boiling pots or grease and smoke from a very hot frypan will go straight up. I've seen cabinet doors and even ceilings badly damaged. Whatever one ends up doing about a microwave (counter top, drawer model or wall niche with a trim kit), make SURE you get a good quality, high cfm hood fan.

 

[barkley]

If you get an oversized range (or other oversized appliance), remember that you may need to reinforce the floor and/or have a special outlet installed. Investigate first.

if you use propane and you are upgrading from a single to a double oven/gas cook top research if you will need to upgrade the gas line,

If you go with granite, which seems to be the toughest /most durable stone, you should go pick out the slab yourself. Read up on how to choose /how to get a good result.

if you go with granite consider getting a (coordinating color) compressed granite under mount sink. i prefer it over stainless steel b/c i'm not constantly wiping water spots off of it.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We redid our kitchen several years ago. And it is a small gslley kitchen. Things I love

48 inch tall cabinets. Lots of space even though I need a small kitchen ladder to get to the top shelf

double ovens…how do people live without them?
double doors above ovens with vertical dividrrs for bsking trays etc
and a big thin drawer underneath ovens which is perfect for long utensils

pull out shelves…the only thing better would be shelves that lifted

appliance garage built into a corner…might be out of fashion but is an excellent use of odd space. Ours has an electrical outlet in it and holds my blender, kitchen aid mixer, food processor.

in thst same corner on the bottom is a lazy susan with two shelves…great space for Tupperware, baking dishes etc

five burner cooktop with high BTUs…underneath the cooktop is perfect storage for pet food, kitty litter, etc

spice drawer

pantry

deep drawers on one side that hold towels etc

the best appliances you can afford

shelf above the countertop for microwave

things I wish were different..

our granite countertop is getting old…I’d like to replace

we have double sinks…wish we had one big sink

heated floors would be great

 

[Darcy03231]

We did a complete kitchen remodel and some of things I love:

Pull out drawers in the pantry
Pot filler over the stove
USB plugs in some of the outlets
Huge, deep, granite sink
Corner cabinet doors

We went with quartz and really like it. Since we plan for this to be our forever home, we went with what we liked rather than looking at possible resale value down the road.

 

[NAB]

Wish I would have put in more large drawers on the bottom . I have 2 deep drawers and want more. My one cabinet I have to take things out to get to back stuff. Someone suggested to me to get pull out shelves for them but you lose room on the sides for hardware.

Everyone seems to like the one sink but I like my 2 . Sometimes I have something soaking on one side or when I do hand wash I just stack the dishes in the other sink to dry.

I just have a basic small subdivision house. When we redid our kitchen we did tall cabinets made a big difference.

 

[limace]

We hope our house is our forever home, too-I probably wouldn’t have picked a green stove if I was planning to resell . (Blue Star stoves come with thousands of color combos so you can replace the panel if you want).

 

[gmi3804]

I find pot fillers to be one of the most useless things one could spend money on. First of all, how many pots does one need to fill? Then, once the post is filled and placed, how is it removed, assuming it was filled there because it’d be too heavy? Then there’s the matter of cleaning the damn thing every time you use the stovetop.

Not for me, thanks.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I agree on the pot-fillers. It's not that difficult to bring a pot of water to the stove (a whopping 3 feet, in my kitchen). And I make a whole lot of pasta. But, it's like a lot of things--if it works for Darcy0321, well, good for her. Ditto on TVguy and his appliance garage--if he's happy with it, who cares if it's currently fashionable? Tvguy has never struck me as the type of person who follows the latest trend, anyway.

I will say--I didn't realize my old cabinets were a non-standard height (the upper ones), until we remodeled. On the good side, I can now tilt back my Kitchenaid all the way (I couldn't before, under my old cabinets). On the bad side, I can't easily reach the top shelves. I have a step stool and tall guys living here, so no biggie, and I do love all the cabinet space. OTOH, my MIL had her counters set a little higher than normal--she was quite tall, and it worked better for her.

 

[Skippy918]

I like my cabinet above my wall oven that holds all my cookie sheets, muffin pans, etc.

 

[tvguy]

double ovens…how do people live without them?

Interesting. How often do you use them? I have a couple of friends who bought high end homes built in the 1950's with double ovens. One bought from the original owner who claimed the bottom oven had never been used. They went with a single oven in their remodel.
I lived in a Fraternity house with 30 members. We had a commercial oven/stove/grill combo, and even preparing food for 30 every day the single large oven was all we needed.

 

[tvguy]

A question for the group, how high are your counters? Our house was built in 1979 with 34" tall counters. Our remodeling contractor suggested we go with 36" tall counters which we did. But apparently some folks go with counters as tall as 42".
I really don't notice the difference between 34 and 36" counters.

 

[goofy4prez]

A question for the group, how high are your counters? Our house was built in 1979 with 34" tall counters. Our remodeling contractor suggested we go with 36" tall counters which we did. But apparently some folks go with counters as tall as 42".
I really don't notice the difference between 34 and 36" counters.

Our builder gave us a few options but said 36" tall was the most popular and his personal choice. We went with 36."